A Long Time Coming
by Anime Borat
Summary: A figment of her past comes back to haunt Saeko. Very different from other stories in this category. Please review.


**A Long Time Coming**

_A/N:Hello HOTD fans, I'm Anime Borat. Though I may have wrote my Highschool of the Dead - Azumanga Daioh crossover **For What It's Worth**, this my first time to write a short story in the Highschool of the Dead category. I watched the anime and liked it, especially kendo mistress Seako Busujima. The reason why I loved her in first sight is because she looks a lot like Azumanga Daioh's Sakaki(SQUEE!). Unfortunately, her heart goes to Takashi Komuro (author weeps like a baby). This story is based in her back story and the possibility that it might come back to her. Kudos to jm1681 for inspiring me. I've always wanted to write this scene so it this would also appear in my crossover, albeit remade for it.  
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_Here's my yarn, A Long Time coming. PS, Highschool of The Dead is owned by the Sato brothers. No copyright infringement intended. This one is an out-of-the-box story, which means its very different from the ones you read. I advise you to take a deep breath before reading it.  
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><p>Her vision was blurry and her head hurts a bit. She became aware of a strange nausea in her throat and her face stung; she realized she was anesthetized with chloroform. She looked around the room, which is dim and lit by a single light bulb. She could hear her own breathing, and her senses slowly came back to her. She found herself in a dilapidated garden shed, where the tools and other materials are strewn around and there are gaps on the wall where moonlight has streaked through. As her senses slowly came back to her, she felt her hands were bound tightly by rope. She leaned forward to see her legs are bound up too. Worst of all, her beloved sword, a sacred weapon entrusted to her by Saya's father, the late Souichiro Takagi, is gone.<p>

In horror, her eyes widened and scanned her surroundings. The only companions she have are the derelict tools and gardening equipment and the weak, solitary light bulb. Her senses may have returned but her body was still lethargic, refusing to respond to commands for movement. She felt helpless and naked without it. She looked around the shed, there are a few things that she can use as a weapon, all she could find are few rakes, tools, no doubt, that Rei can use as weapons. Rei... where is she? In fact, where's everybody? Saya, Takashi, Hirano, Alice-chan, and Shizuka-sensei are nowhere to be seen. For the first time in her life, fear has entered her heart. She couldn't think calmly and objectively as she usually did. She now knew what it's like to feel be vulnerable, to be helpless, to be trapped in a prison with no way to free herself.

She took a deep breath to settle her nerves. It wasn't like her to panic, she just needed to think. She laid still for a few minutes so she could regain full control of her senses. She then searched the room for anything she might use to free her binds. A pair of garden shears rested on an old table just a few feet away. She struggled to move her body, carefully sliding along as to not topple the other assorted junk strewn around the shed. She positioned herself to try and retrieve the sheers with her legs. She slowly and carefully swiped it off with her bound feet and it fell clear of the table. She then adjusted herself around then rolled to her left to pick up. She then sat up and tried to take it but something stirred.

She heard the crunching of leaves from the outside. She froze and held her breath, she then moved slowly so the shears were directly behind her, right were she could grab them. Her hands grasped around the shears. The footsteps stopped... then door broke open violently. To her horror, the figure walked in. She backed away quickly in haste, still holding the shears and hoping that she'll get a chance to use them should the opportunity arise. He stopped a few steps short from her. He was silhouetted by the moonlight outside. She looked up and her eyes widened in apprehension.

"Huh..." she muttered. "What do you want?"

Although she couldn't see his face, she knew that a grin is forming on his face, one that gleamed with evil triumph. "Good evening, Busujima-san," he said creepily. "Long time, no see." He them suddenly stomped his foot forward to intimidate her. That surprised her but she didn't wince, just as she was taught in her father's studio: never show fear to your opponent. She glared angrily, defiantly at him.

He looked at her face, her eyes burning with anger at him. He smiled as she's the one who's all tied up and not him. He took a step forward and crouched over to pick her up. She back away further and as he got closer, she shot her bound legs at him, knocking him on his back. He fell back and knocked over some flower pots. Saeko got up and sat on the table, began to use the shears to work her way out of her bounds. She gingerly manipulated the blades so she wouldn't cut herself and rubbed her binds against the edges. He was beginning to get up and picked the pace to free herself. He finally got up and began to approach her. She held the shears tightly behind her, ready to dispatch the hooligan with them at the right moment. As he got closer to Saeko, she pretended to be still held by her bounds. With every inch of distance he closed, she felt ready to give him his just reward - a nice deep stab.

Instantly, the rickety old table broke under her weight and she fell off, rolling to her side. He back away slightly stunned. Startled, Saeko quickly stood up and brandished the shears. Seeing that she's armed, he backed away in fear but he clumsily knocked over a box. Saeko seized her chance and wanted to make most it -including savoring it- but she forgot to untie her legs and she fell forward. With her face in the dust he quickly stood up and seized the upper hand. He quickly pounced on her and smothered her mouth with a strong-smelling clothe while his free arm restrained her. When she smelled the chloroform, she panicked and tried to squirm herself free but his grip was too strong and she lost consciousness again.

She woke up in again, this time lying in a bed with her hands bound together by the wrists to the posts above her head while her ankles are tied to the bottom posts, her legs spread out. Lethargy ruled her body anew, vision once again blurry. She doesn't know how long was she put on this position. Worst, she doesn't know happened to her while she was unconscious. What did he do to her then? She was frightened to think what he's done to her. Fear returned to her again, her confidence, dignity and calm left her. Her heart pounded so loudly that she hear their pulsing in her ears, and her hazy eyes looked around for something, anything. But her mind remained foggy and she couldn't think clearly. It was an eternity before the haze lifted from her head. The door opened and lo and behold, her captor walked in.

"Hello, Saeko-san," he said as he took his seat on a nearby chair. She felt her hairs stand on end the way he used her first name. He did not let go of his smile, a chilling grin that made Saeko's heart stop.

Strangely in few seconds, her fears have subsided. Her heartbeat returned to normal and the numbness induced by the chloroform has finally lifted. What she felt now was curiosity - and loathing.

"I had to drug you twice," he tried. That shocked her but she didn't show it. She kept herself composed, denying him any reaction he was watching. "Don't worry," he added. "I've done nothing to you - yet. I like you kicking."

She ignored innuendo-laden comment and asked him, "What do you want? Where are my friends?"

"You're friends are alright," he replied. "As a matter of fact, it was hard to get you out of there and cover my tracks."

She pressed on, "Why did you brought me here? What do you want from me?"

Then the grin on his face depressed into a frown. His eyes turned shot back menacing glare. He turned away and breathed deeply, as if in frustration. He looked back at her. His voice seethed with anger. He asked, "What does it mean to be so... powerful, Saeko-san?"

Those words seemed to have resonance to her. She asked in a low voice, "What do you mean...? What are you talking about...?"

His eyes then turned cold. "What? You don't remember about what happened four years ago?"

The moment he mentioned 'four years ago', she caught her breath in her throat, her pupils shrank and her blood turned cold. Her mind was suddenly flooded with those images of that fateful night. The dark night, the screams, the sound of wood pounding into human flesh and bone, of blood splattering her face, the thrill of taking down someone, and her own giggling. That night confirmed her prowess as a kendo master... and the exhilaration of something better than a practice dummy. She shuddered in fear as she recalled the memories of her bloodlust.

She finally spoke, "It can't be... Not you."

"Yes..." he whispered darkly. "It was me back then. Are you scared?"

She couldn't reply. This couldn't be. She knew her past would come back - but not this way, she expected to emerge in her sadistic tendencies during combat. She felt dread all over her. Her would-molester is here, coming back to exact his vengeance on her. She cringed in her bounds and her expressions on her face unraveled subconsciously. He gave her another look and smiled as he saw the subtle fear written in her face and her body shuddering.

He continued, "I've always wanted you. I desired you. I've always so you on your way to school-"

Saeko retorted, "You are nothing! Only lowlife pervert scum like you deserved what was coming! You-"

"Shut up!" He growled in a feral voice. She was silenced, surprised by his sudden flare of anger. He then whispered venomously, "You're in no position to talk back to me, bitch."

Normally, being called one would have infuriated her and the offender would have a nice butt-kicking but this time, she felt a sickening dread rising in her body, one that made her skin squirm. He was dead serious and she hear his breathing, which seemed heavy with rage.

He went on, "That night... you ruined me... I could not forget it." He then recounted what he remembered from that night, "You lured me to you like a fly to honey. You knew I wanted to taste you. And you played with my longing... and attacked me while I was about to sate myself with you. You broke me apart!" His voice turned shaky. "Even if it's not there... I still felt the pain... I could still hear my own screams... I still saw you y-your eyes, your smile in my sleep!"

He bolted upward from the chair, standing menacingly. Saeko's eyes widened as he raised he made wild gestures with his hands and body, lost in thought as he disclosed more of his tale. "I spent a month in a hospital... and I was sent to jail... I never was myself again. Each day was nerve-wracking torment as I always looked to my shoulders and avoid other people... But when the push comes to shove, I had the worst of it... Even when I was released... I still could not shake the pain and fear from my mind... I could not live well with society after that! I was shunned... avoided like plague..."

He paused and slowly lowered his head a bit. He gave Saeko a hard stare "You..." he breathed, "you enjoyed... every minute... of my pain. You smiled at me... while I screamed, I shrieked. You gave another one across my face... and broke my leg. You loved every second of it. My suffering was your joy!" The cry echoed throughout the room.

"How does it feel now? To be helpless, like you are right now?" He suddenly grab the lower bed post and screamed, "Do you still remember my screams?" Saeko heard the screams, the beatings get louder, they became fresh to her. "Do you!" He laughed maniacally, sending a new wave of fear to Saeko as she struggled out of her bounds frantically. He was turned on by her futile attempts to wrest herself free. He watched her a few minutes more until she finally stopped writhing, clearly knowing that it was useless.

"Did you ever asked yourself, 'what could I've done instead?' That's no longer important." He turned away from her and sat back on the chair. "I never knew this day would come. I never realized the opportunity I had then since the world has gone to hell. I was only thinking about how to get the hell out of here... but you came along... with your friends."

She cried, "My friends? What have you done to them?" She instinctively tried to stand but the binds held her tightly. It worried her about what he might have done to them. Especially to Takashi.

"They've not been molested since you split up from them foraging for supplies," he answered. "I've spiked that can of tea that your friend Rei retrieved. They won't be in any position to help you now." He looked at her from top to bottom. "As for you... how did you feel about your little 'incident'? Do you feel joy, ecstasy? Or do you have other feelings? Regret? Guilt, maybe?"

The room fell silent once again, save for the rustling of the wind coming through the window, blowing the loose-flowing curtains. Those memories refused to leave her mind. In the midst of it all, the street where she stood on that very night transformed itself into something else. It became dark and screams and beatings turned to horrific echoes. She began laughing insanely as she beat him up. Not satisfied with him, she turned her attention to the forest of faceless figures gathering around her. She quickly took off to engage them. With the speed and grace of which was her trademark, she attacked the figures again and again. She giggled with glee as she dodged their blows.

She felt an almost sexual thrill of engaging all of them, heightened by their own futile attacks and cries of pain. As she plowed through them, they began to retreat. She gave chase and attacked the stragglers. After taking down four of them in quick succession, one more fell from the crowd. She raced to it, bokken at ready. She raised it, jumped up and got ready for the kill. She struck it hard, she heard the snap of weapon and it fell with a hollow thud.

It gave a shrill cry. It wasn't from any of the inhuman figures. It was like a little girl's. Saeko stood down and she looked at it. To her horror, it was Alice. She had hit Alice! She was bleeding from the head and tears welled out from her eyes. Saeko gasped in horror, placing her hand on her mouth. It's impossible for a child like her to survive a deathblow to the head, one with enough force to crack it. She was lay down on the street like a sack of potatoes. Saeko dropped to her knees in disbelief, in shock and in guilt, the bokken slipping out of her hand.

"Nee-chan..." Alice spoke weakly, "why did you do this to me?"

Saeko's eyes watered and she picked up Alice and embraced her tightly, the blood from her head spilling into her uniform. She began to sob. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Forgive me. Please, forgive me."

"How was it?" He asked her again. He could see tears coming out of her eyes. They slid done her shapely face.

She said softly to no one in particular, "I'm sorry... I should have been more careful..."

This words, her whimpers, were like music to his ears. He knew it wasn't addressed to him but that's still the same, an admission of her surrender. He slowly got up and approached her. He then picked up a handkerchief and stooped over her. The moment she caught eyes with him looming over her, she was alarmed and tried to turn her face away but he grabbed her chin, steadying it as he wiped her face. His touch petrified her to extremes as he gently - and sickeningly - wiped her tears away. She suddenly swung her head away from his hand but he he slipped the handkerchief into her mouth and tied around the back of her head, gagging her securely.

"This is the way I wanted," he said to her. "You, me, and my vengeance. I'm not a violent man, you know. I just wanted some payback. You can finally give what you denied me for four years. Let's see where we should start..." The way her voice was muffled by the gag intensified his lust as he scanned her body for something to begin with. "How about -this!"

His hands grabbed her one of breasts. She was mortified as he began to violate her, she cried in vain for him to stop but her mouth was suppressed by the cloth. She could only give out stifled whimpers as he savored her with his touch. His eyes brightened with an evil glimmer as his hands worked their on her breast, giggling with childlike glee. To Saeko, the giggling was evil, lecherous laughter, a monster proclaiming its conquest.

Her dread reached to extreme heights. She watched him touch her, felt them on her breasts and his maniacal laughter. She began to scream her muffled screams, her mind could not take the hideous scene she was forced in. Her dignity, her womanhood, chastity... is in the process of slipping away, of being taken away from her by her tormentor, whom she nearly destroyed in a blood-crazed primal frenzy four years ago. She wanted to escape, to break free, to be able to kill again but the bounds grappled her feet and hands like serpents willed by their master not to release her. She felt her soul was slowly ripped apart, subverted, slowly shredded into nothing.

Seeing her thrash around the bed in response to his groping was like gold to his eyes. Her squeals were like music to his ears, reminding him of those porn films that feature rape, which he liked immensely. He said hunrily, "Wow... your breasts are soft and firm. I like them." His eyes strayed to her belly. He placed his hands under her blouse and began to rub the smooth, taut flesh. Saeko winced even more, the horror of her ordeal had just gotten worse and she refused to think of the end of it.

"I can see that your kendo training has benefited you well..." his words sound shaky again. "Your belly's very nice... I want to explore more of you..."

She wanted this nightmare to end. She wished it was it just that, something she should wake up from. She wanted to be with her friends again. She wanted to be with Takashi. Tears again began to well up in her eyes, despair had become manifest. She wanted out, to scream.

He laughed again. He felt triumphant and the excitement is building inside him. Saeko would finally be his. He is now going enjoying her as an appetizer. Sooner or later, she will be the main course. He then ripped her blouse, causing her to scream anew. He ranted, "Oh yes... This is it... This is it!" He howled in delight and just he was to get up on her, the door broke open. He stumble off the bed in surprise.

Takashi Komuro went and was horrified to see what's inside. On the bed lay Saeko, bound to the posts with her blouse ripped apart and her eyes watery. The very sight of her nearly tore him inside. He then turned his eyes on the man, the man who kidnapped her while he drugged their tea. The man who was about to commit the most horrible thing to her. He felt utter disgust at him. Sheets of lightning filled his eyes, his mind exploded. He raised the bat and...

He never saw it coming. Takashi growled in anger as he crashed the cricket bat into his face. He crashed on his back, the man brought his arms up to shield him from his blows. Takashi shouted in rage, "DON'T YOU TREAT WOMEN LIKE THAT!"

Meanwhile, Rei and Hirano broke Saeko free from her bounds. As they shored her loose, the trio backed away as they watched Takashi beat the man nearly to pulp, ignoring his pleas of mercy.

It seemed that no one wanted to intervene, clearly seeing Takashi had turned into a beast. Then Shizuka came in. She shouted, "Kumoro-kun! Stop!"

Her words cause him to stop and turned around. He panted and felt drained. He then looked himself in the mirror. His reflection reminded him of Saeko during her outburst of sadism. He nearly dropped the bat in fear of

The man was about to step aside when Hirano came to him, his ArmaLite AR-10B DMR pointed at him to cut off his escape. He sank back to the floor as he stared down the barrel. His eyes wandered to his face and he saw the gun otaku's eyes were hard and cold as the barrel, causing him to shrank back in terror.

Saeko was at least able to stand, petrified by her experience. She glanced briefly at her friends. Then she turned to her tormentor, a cowering pig in the shadow of Takashi.

The spiky-haired boy asked her, "Saeko-san, are you okay?"

She didn't reply. His words and the words of everyone else were indistinct echoes. What she was really focused on was him, the pig who tried to break her. She looked around and saw her sword, which was near the window. Apparently, he got rid of it while he kidnapped her and one of her friends brought it with down. She wasn't listening to anyone, she was just focused on the sword.

He got between Saeko and her sword just as she was about to lunge to get it. He grappled her with a bear hug. She grunted as she tried to shove him out of the way to get to her sword, she wanted to cut that that man to pieces, to punish him, to repay his treatment of her in the most horrible way.

"Saeko-san! Saeko! Stopped!" Takashi shouted. She refused to listen, Takashi tried to her away as her strength fueled by anger and hatred. He shouted again, "Saeko-san! Please stop!"

She did stop. She then took her breath and looked at Takashi. His face seemed to convey a message to her: _please calm down, Saeko... please_. She nearly fell, Takashi caught her midway. She buried his soldiers, then the room was filled with her crying. Tears have streamed though her face. Everyone was amazed to see that Saeko, the most mature of them all, had broke down crying. To Takashi most of all, this was something that nearly broke his heart. Silently, he took her to Rei and Shizuka. Rei, who considered the kendo master a friend as well as rival, knew what Saeko felt right now, recalling her run-in with that thug at the gas station. She embraced and comforted her. Saeko cried freely in their arms. Takagi really felt sorrowful at seeing Saeko in such a state. No where during their travels did she see her like that.

But what she witnessed now made her want to cry to. She then look at the perpetrator who took her away. She then glared at him with a look of cold contempt. _That man, that _bakayaro_, had to pay. He must pay_!

They left the house, Hirano bringing the man in two while they returned to their current hideaway. Takashi left her in the company of Rei, Alice and Shizuka. He then joined the rest of the gang, Hirano and Takagi, to discuss the fate of the cowardly rapist, who was tied and stowed away in a broom closet, shuddering as he awaited retribution.

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><p><em>This is my first HOTD fic. Please don't flame by the way I wrote this, especially the way I wrote down Saeko. As I said before, this an out-of-the-box kind of story. If you like, come down and read <strong>For What It's Worth<strong>. Today's recommended fic, jm1681's Blood in Her Face._


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